Donna D’Aquino was born in Newburgh, New York. She received her BS in Design from The State University College of New York at Buffalo in 1989; and her MFA from Kent State University in 2000. She has taught at Kent State University, The Mary Schiller Myers School of Art at the University of Akron and The University of Toledo; all in Ohio.

In the fall of 2003, D’Aquino decided to stop teaching and focus on being a studio metalsmith. She works in a variety of metals, materials and styles. Her jewelry is hand-fabricated using sterling silver, 18kt gold and steel. It is primarily inspired by drawing and architecture. D’Aquino’s work can be seen in over 25 books and magazines and at many of the finest contemporary Craft Shows and Galleries throughout the United States. She has won numerous awards including an individual Ohio Arts Council Grant and an Emerging Artist Fellowship from the American Craft Council. In 2007 she was selected to be included in both the traveling show and the book that accompanied the “Craft in America, Celebrating Two Centuries of Artists and Objects”, series done for PBS. Her work was recently donated to the permanent collection of The Charles A. Wustum Museum in Racine, Wisconsin. She also has work in the permanent collection of the Museum for Contemporary Crafts in Portland, Oregon. Her work has recently been featured in Vogue Italia and W magazine.